Monday, January 30, 2012

Turmeric Milk - Indian Home Remedy

It is humbling to know anyone would think I would know anything about Ayurveda. Honestly, I don't. What I do know nevertheless is simple Indian home remedies, which almost every Indian household has. One such remedy is haldi ka doodh which translates into turmeric milk, which is simply that, turmeric (haldi) with milk (doodh).

In a family of six, at least one of us would be suffering from cold and sore throat during winter. Everyone had to drink turmeric milk regardless of who was really sick. The minute the aroma of earthy turmeric and cardamom boiling along with milk hit our nostrils, we ran to our rooms and locked ourselves up. When mom finally knocked long enough to get us all out, we plugged our nose tight enough to avoid tasting the milk that almost instantly warmed and soothed the throat. Sometimes, mom would also add a little saffron to the milk, which made the milk more appealing to the eye apart from bettering the taste, but never added any sweetener.

Turmeric, in recent years has attracted a lot of attention for its countless health benefits but for us Indians, it has always been a healing spice. It is a well known home remedy for skins problems, cold, chest pain, sore throat, toothache and many other ailments that every Indian mother trusts. Recent studies have even claimed it as substantial for curing diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Its undeniable how powerful this warm, bitter and almost peppery spice is. Even the sight of turmeric coloring and adding a beautiful golden hue to food it touches is as healing and therapeutic. Well, I can't say the same thing about my turmeric stained wooden cooking spoons, but they do become a part of daily Indian cooking and nothing much you can do about it.

If there was anything worse than turmeric milk in our little young minds, it was the raw and fresh milk from the diary we got while on vacations in India. The raw milk smelled weird and we would tease our cousins, how we at least had milk that didn't smell so awful in Kuwait.

I made some just now with almond milk. Tastes great! Think I'll be doing this everyday.(Btw - I had also recently read a recipe that did suggest the use of dairy milk alternatives, so figure it is okay. Just don't get the tryptophan.)

I swear by this stuff when I'm sick! Works like a charm every time. However, to those asking if you can substitute the milk, my grandpa has told me that it should always be mixed with hot milk because there is something in the milk (can't remember what) that allows the turmeric to be absorbed by your body.

I would avoid honey - as a fellow heartburn sufferer, I also find that when I add grated fresh ginger to my recipe, it causes discomfort. This is most likely because honey is pitta aggravating (heat-causing) - and ginger, I have noticed, does not do well either, although touted as a digestive. I would recommend using plain, raw, brown sugar as a sweetner.

Has anyone tried this? Make yourself a cup of hot cocoa in the usual wasy and add cinnamon and tumeric. You can also add ginger or chilli. Start with a little tumeric and increase the quantity over a few weeks - it grows on you.

This is great pass on information, thanks for posting. We did try the milk when our grandson was having a awful time with a cold and cough it eased his symptoms especially with the cough so he could sleep at night without coughing.

This sounds wonderfully soothing Kulsum. I insist my children eat a spoonful of harissa when they get a throat itch - to numb the pain and kill the germs. This sounds much nicer and I will file to try next time it is needed. Plus, we grow turmeric. I just love your quaint milk bottle. Please post your nut, cardamom and saffron drink when you can. Thank you for sharing x :D Merryn

Absolutely stunning photos. I haven't had turmeric milk but you have truly piqued my interest. My favorite posts to read are the ones that detail heirloom recipes and time-honored home remedies. Yours is all of those things and beautiful to boot.

Warm haldi-doodh at night, cold disappear by morning.I hated it too, but moms know best :)Even used to hate kaada, don't know what others call it...but it had black peppercorns, tulsi, and lots of other stuff boiled in water, and it was sweet yet spicy yet strong at the same time.Drink it warm/hot & sleep if one has cold/cough/runny nose, and feel much better when wake up.I prefer home remedies than OTC medicines :)

I always have haldi dood when I have the cold, and I recommend it to everyone else too! Never used to add the other spices in, but gotta try. We also throw in this thing called kharak into the milk, I think it's dried dates and also very good for colds....

Wow what a great home remedy and with some of the most beneficial ingredients. So tell me, does it really taste that awful now that you're an adult or was that just when you were a child? I have all these ingredients on hand. I definitely want to try it. It can only help!

This brings back a lot of memories. My sister and I, like other kids, resisted turmeric milk every time we were sick and mom would give it to us before we slept at night. But you are right - turmeric does help a lot. Good to see a humble drink on the blog.

If turmeric is cooked in a dish, does it still have the same healing effect, or must it be used in it's "raw" form for optimal benefit? I ask because I had read one should mix olive oil and turmeric and take a spoon full of it daily. The thought of that isn't so appealing.

Indians generally don't have turmeric powder raw. So yes, it certainly has healing properties even after it cooks. But fresh turmeric root has more benefits if that's something you can get your hands on. It has a very mild taste and works great in salads.

This sounds fabulous and potentially very useful. I am a cancer health educator/nutritionist with an international cancer charity and would like to share this recipe with interested patients and those on my cancer-nutrition courses. If it's okay with you I may include it in a future blog post, when I feature turmeric recipes of my own. Fully credited with link, of course. Glad I found you. Gorgeous images btw. Inspiring.

Kulsum, I saw this post last night and guess what, I'm drinking your turmeric drink right now! I've been sick (cough and throataches) for nearly 2 weeks. This is something new for me but it's actually nice! Thank you for this post, it came in great timing! Hoping I'll get better soon with new remedy I have! I absolutely love your photos and I'll be studying your photos closely this year so I subscribed yours via email so I won't miss a post! Wish me luck...hehe.

Kulsum, Yes we come from a background of food culture where ancestors believed on the phrase "Food is medicine and medicine is food" and no wonder the turmeric has been a part of our growing up years as an antiseptic whether its cold, or bruise or anything auspicious. We use it for all. A nice post to remember our heritage. My mom would give me turmeric milk to smoothen the voice texture (singers drink it often). For the record, I don't sing :-) :-) :-)

OMG Kulsum saw this post on FB & clicked in half of a second, something I have grown up with...this recipe is same as my grandma's. I drink it almost every winter night even when I am well :)...the taste is soo addictive..no? I want that stock farm bottle..courier it to me :) Gorgeous pictures!!

I like turmeric, but I can't get it on my hands/skin...I turn red and super-itchy! I've never tried turmeric milk as a home remedy....we go honey-ginger-pepper as a remedy for colds in my family....but I'll try this next time.

hi kulsum,came here through pinterest and something meeta wolf had pinned ! and I am following you.i am one of those 9-6 office working women with a 6 month old who satys back home with my parents, so when i get home , i can only think of playing with her. At the same time, i miss the cook in me who used to experiment with flavors and colours for the husband :)

this looks so familiar, and i am sure will be a good surprise drink for a cold friday night , watching Tv, 12 pm drink with some nankhatais maybe :)

If you make turmeric paste by boiling 1/4 cup of water with 2 tablespoons turmeric for 8 minutes, you can keep this paste in the fridge and use 1/2 to 1 tsp to make your milk. Just put 1/4 water with the turmeric paste, some cardamom, some black pepper, and some honey to a boil, add 3/4 cup milk, heat to HOT (not boiling) and drink. YUM!

Well it looks like I came across this post at the perfect time. I've been fighting a cold for a few days & wondering what I could do besides the yucky OTC medicines. I may have to give this a shot...with a little sweetener, of course!

I came across here from your pinterest. Turmeric is a great remedy and is able to keep our food to have a longer shelf life without any preservation. But turmeric milk is new to me. Thank you for introducing this to me. Lovely pics as always!

Hi Kulsum, I'm going to try this! I usually have a traditional turmeric, honey and tamarind drink which has been used for generations for internal cleansing. Adore the fantastic photos on your blog :) Well done!

I just made this. I didn't have cardamom but it tasted delightful with honey. I am feeling a tad better already. Just a hint, don't heat in a microwave (blows up!). thank you so much for this. Hopefully both my congestion and cramps stay away for awhile! :)

Kulsum, I have laryngitis and have no voice. My other half has just flown in from a long business trip from warmer pastures and is in danger of catching a cold. I made this tonight sweetened with honey. I had to put powdered ginger as I didn't have fresh. We both loved it. But I sympathise with you about the raw milk. I grew up in Pakistan and my grandmother would warm it and tell me age had strained it but it was so not true as the skin would catch and make me gag. The things we were put through as sub continental children!!

I'm from the south part of India (Chennai) and this recipe is way too complicated. In my experience my mother, grandmother and great grandmother would simply stir in a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric into one cup of milk and then warm the concoction together. With the convenience of a microwave, these days I simply warm things up for about a minute and you're good to go. The sweetness of natural milk masks any bitterness from the turmeric.

I discovered this amazing drink when staying with some friends in Mauritius. Not only does it keep your imune system and digestion in check, but it sure helps you sleep too.Thank you for sharing your recipe and pictures.Sounds delicious, looks delicious, tastes delicious!

I noticed some confusion in the comments here about what turmeric does. While I enjoy being a human guinea pig for delicious preventative remedy testing, it's important not to confuse traditional folk remedies, alternative/complementary medicine and other pseudo-science with science-based medicine. While there is preliminary research on turmeric and curcumin, they are unproven treatments. I'm particularly concerned by the poster who is promoting turmeric as a complementary cancer treatment.

Please see the site "What's the Harm?": http://whatstheharm.net/alternativemedicine.html

An Indian friend told me about tumeric and milk today at the office. I had what I thought was the flu and was just about over it, but still had sort of a lingering cough. I made the tumeric and warm milk, drank it and it worked within a short period of time !!! I have not coughed since and I could tell that the source of the cough was eradicated !!!

This brought back memories... It was compulsory to drink haladi-doodh twice a day everyday when I would have cold, cough or fever. I would hate the taste, still do but I know gargles in the morning and haladi-doodh are the best remedies..

I also remember those days when if you get a cut or a scratch while playing, first thing to do would be put turmeric powder on the wound..

We also make pickles with fresh turmeric roots, garlic cloves, chopped carrot and many other things!

Ahhh!!! hardar nu dudh as it is known in Gujarati is something we drank whenever we felt a cold coming on. Your recipe is mild compared to what I grew up with. We had 1 to 2 TABLESPOONS of turmeric in just ONE cup of milk. You can imagine how bitter that was. And to top it off my mom would make us swirl the cup when we nearing the bottom so that any settled powder would not be wasted. It always worked. I love Ayurvedic remedies!

I am a 52 year old Caucasian Canadian woman who is venturing out of her comfort zone and I am right now, at this very minute, enjoying a warm cup of this milk after making it using your recipe! :)I made mine with unsweetened almond milk, ground turmeric, ground cardamom, ground ginger and pepper with a bit of honey. It's delicious!Your blog is absolutely beautiful and a learning experience for me. I hope to visit it often.

Hello Kulsum can I use this foe 3 month old baby in their formula milk or is there anything u recommend. Good post Im goin downstairs to make a milk now because i cant sleep due a cold and jus found this. Thanks

i was suffering from bad sore throat,may be i have infection because my neck glands also swelled last night i decided to go to the Dr in the morning because i feel so much pain in ears too.because of sore throat in can't eat so i thought to drink only milk. when i was pouring milk that idea came to my mind i remember my mom used to say about haldi milk so i gave it a try and drank milk with honey and haldi. believe it or not in the morning my pain and swelling was gone like 50 percent i was so happy so i don't go to Dr today and i feel so much better.i will drink it tonight again and hope i will be better completely.now this is my no 1 medicine for sore throat annd cold

I remember my mom giving us this even when we fell down as turmeric helps with healing. Hated it at the time :) She would also make an omelet with salt, pepper and added turmeric just so we would eat it. I've never used it but your post just made me try some. Brings back memories. Thanks Kulsum.

I have just read your post by happenstance. Lovely recipe. I have made up my own turmeric milk after a discussion with and friend from India and added cardamom and ginger off the top of my head but no black pepper. I shall enjoy making this more often as I have hopes it will ease some joint pain as well. Thank you.

My husband was having lot of cough this early start of winter. I started giving him haldi milk since a few days and he's so much better now....definitely worth it. I also started to have it, have to start next with the kids...

I read thru the posts quickly, but didn't see anything where anyone asked about the milk. Do you have to use fresh whole milk? When I think of that I think of the milk you get as soon as you milk a cow or goat. Can it be the milk you purchase in the grocery store. I live in an area that does not let people drink raw milk, they are worried people will get sick! I think most of us get sick eating all the stuff that is processed! Thank so much -

I love turmeric, always add it to veggies, soups, etc. But now, I'll also drink it, both with milk (I use soy or almond milk) or in tea. I was buying prepared masala tea mix, but yes, much cheaper to use your own cardamon & ginger. What a powerful drink!

Thank you for this easy, healthful recipe. Just repinned on Pinterest, that's how I found it.

I've used a similar turmeric milk recipe for years for aches and pains. I call it Golden Milk, and it is a simplified version where I make a decoction of the powdered herb by boiling a couple tsp in a cup of water until it reduces to half, then add honey and milk. I find it works great for joint inflammations especially when combined with a turmeric compress (powdered turmeric sandwiched in a cloth soaked in hot water) over the affected area. This method targets the inflammation from the inside and out!www.danasmithmassage.comanatomyoftouch.blogspot.ca

Beautiful blog about Turmeric milk. Now a days we have been suffering from many diseases due to pollution and also have been spending too much of money for the health, why don't you drink home remedy turmeric milk instead of drinking coffee, tea, supplement health drink etc. Turmeric milk becomes very necessary part for the family, children, students and our younger generation.

I know that turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and helpful in alleviating pain. Also studies have shown it may help to prevent cancer. Didn't have the cardamom but made it anyway with almond milk and it was delicious!Thank you. Now I applied a moist hot,turmeric added,towel to my arthritic knee to see what the affects will be.

Thanks to everyone, I have been looking for something to help break up the 'crud' that I have. Looks as though this could be it. I don't have the cardamon pods so would it be acceptable to use cardamon powder?

I have been reading on other sites that it is best to make a turmeric paste and use a spoonful from that whenever needed (it lasts for about 10-12 days refridgerated). Is this necessary as I've been making it for the past 3 nights by simple method...similar to your above instructions....I love it :)

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Another great recipe for colds is ginger tea. Simmer a finger of ginger (peeled and minced) for 5 minutes or so then just before you drink it add fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon to a cup) and honey. Sip on it throughout the day and it will shorten your cold symptoms.

Thank you so much for the great post. I have been suffering from a cough for weeks and have been looking for something natural to get it gone for good. I cant wait to try this recipe tonight. Is this meant to make fresh, or can you make a batch and heat up?

My husband and I are suffering from sore throats,so I made this tonight and it really does work! Thank you so much for posting the recipe. Would you mind if I shared the recipe on my blog, HomemadeMothering?

Hello really enjoy reading all posts with great interestI have a very annoying sinus cold since November last and would bemost greatful for recommendations as to what I could take for it and cannot sleep at nights eitherPaul